Upper Amazon Arawakan languages

The Upper Amazon Maipurean languages, a.k.a. North Amazonian or Inland Northern Maipuran, are Arawakan languages of the northern Amazon in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Brazil.

Upper Amazonian Arawakan
Inland Northern Maipuran
Geographic
distribution
Northern Amazon
Linguistic classificationArawakan
  • Northern
    • Upper Amazonian Arawakan
Subdivisions
  • Western Nawiki
  • Eastern Nawiki
  • Central (Orinoco)
  • Manao
Language codes
Glottologinla1264

Upper Amazon Arawakan has been surveyed comprehensively by Henri Ramirez (2001), which includes a historical reconstruction as well.

Languages

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Kaufman (1994)

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Kaufman (1994) gives the following breakdown (Aikhenvald's names of branches in parentheses):

He leaves the following Upper Amazon languages unclassified:

Aikhenvald (1999)

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In 1999 Aikhenvald[1] classified a couple languages Kaufman left out (Shiriana, Yabaâna), but leaves several of the Western Nawiki languages and branches unclassified. Several languages — Maipure, Resígaro, Cawishana, Mandahuaca, and Guarequena — are moved. She treats the Yucuna, Karu (Baniwa), and Bare groups as single languages.

Unclassified : Wainumá, Mariaté, Anauyá, Amarizana, Jumana (Yumana), Pasé, Kariaí (Cariyai), Waraikú (Araikú), Wiriná. Cabre (Cavare) was found in the area of the Western Nawiki languages, but only a few words are known. The "Ponares language" listed in Ethnologue may have been Piapoco or Achagua.

References

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  1. ^ Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y. (1999). "The Arawak language family". In Dixon, Robert Malcolm Ward; Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y. (eds.). The Amazonian languages. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-57021-3.
  • Ramirez, Henri. 2001. Línguas Arawak da Amazônia Setentrional. Manaus: EDUA. 745pp.